Richard Strivens, bass-baritone, originally from Kent, grew up in Belgium and graduated from Oxford University in Chemistry. He studied singing at the National Opera Studio, the Royal Northern College of Music and EurOperaStudio, Milan.

Last year, Richard sang as Richard Stuart’s curious double in The Tell-Tale Heart in the Royal Opera House’s ROH2 contemporary opera scheme. The Tell-Tale Heart was written by Stewart Copeland, the drummer of The Police.

He returned to The Royal Opera House for yet more surreal, charming and strange contemporary opera this February in a show called Exposure.

His operatic performances include Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress) for English Touring Opera, the Stage Technician (The Makropulos Case) for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Colline (La Bohème) for Scottish Opera on Tour, Masetto (Don Giovanni) at Cologne Opera, and Tergisto (Messalina) at the Batignano Festival in Italy.

Richard has sung Bach Ich habe genug, St Matthew Passion and the Christmas Oratorio with the Britten Sinfonia, Beethoven 9th Symphony in Bangor. With the Joyful Company of Singers he has recorded Strauss Deutsche Mottete and Messiah. He has sung Verdi’s Requiem at the Bridgewater Hall with the combined North West Choral Societies, Pulcinella with the Birmingham Royal Ballet conducted by Barry Wordsworth, The Apostles at Eton College with Ralph Allwood, The Kingdom at St David’s Cathedral, The Dream of Gerontius at The Sage in Gateshead.